


I've got you, brother.

by SunshineScorpius



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Albus just really needs a hug but James is too scared, Brotherly Love, Brothers, But they really do love each other, Gen, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Compliant, James is a good brother
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:41:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22395733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunshineScorpius/pseuds/SunshineScorpius
Summary: As they grew older, the Potter brothers slipped further and further away from each other, but that didn't mean they ever stopped caring.OrFive times James wanted to hug Albus and the one time he did.
Relationships: Albus Severus Potter & James Sirius Potter
Comments: 24
Kudos: 139





	I've got you, brother.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm procrastinating my two WIPs so have some Potter brother feels!

_“Some people don’t believe in heroes. But they haven’t met my brother.”_

_\- Anonymous_

#

**one**

“SLYTHERIN!” the hat called out and he saw his brothers shoulders slump, a flash of fear cross his face. James’ heart fell from his chest and splattered across the Gryffindor table. He watched as Albus stood on shaky legs, knocking the wooden stool over in the process and looked over to the Slytherin table. Scorpius Malfoy – a boy Albus _seemed_ to have become friends with – sent him a warm smile and waved him over. He was halfway to the table when another girl – Polly Chapman, who had been sorted into Gryffindor moments before - stood and let out a loud, almost startled, laugh.

“Slytherin?” she snarled, looking Albus up and down.

Albus stopped walking and looked back at her, hands fisted in his robes that were much too big – a hand-me-down from James. James stood as more students did, taking a few steps towards Albus.

“I suppose his hair isn’t _that_ similar,” Yann Fredericks snorted, earning a laugh from Polly.

But the worse was his cousin Rose who stepped forward and shouted across the room, “this isn’t how it’s supposed to be, Albus!”

There were tears in his brothers sparkling eyes, eyes once so full of wonder. He’d always been a curious kid, a staircase listener and a backyard adventurer. It was like that simple word - _Slytherin_ \- had drained Albus of all that curiosity. James took a few more steps, but stopped when Albus caught his eye. He ached to reach out, to wrap his arms around him, to hold him like he used to when they were younger, but there was so much hate in his brothers’ eyes that James held back.

Instead, he muttered an, “I’m sorry,” and retreated back to the table, watching as Albus barely touched his feast.

**two**

He shouldn’t have sought out Albus when Lily was sorted into Gryffindor, but he couldn’t help it. Across the room, he once again saw his little brothers shoulders sag whilst Scorpius whispered something to him, a hand on his shoulder. He knew that deep in his heart, Albus was hoping for Lily to join him in Slytherin, he’d confessed it in a moment of vulnerability over the summer before locking himself in his room for three days.

James was momentarily distracted from Albus as Lily appeared in his face, cheering and chanting about her sorting and a wide smile appeared on his face as they engaged in a secret handshake they’d made up when Lily was six. He quickly hugged her, before hearing a bunch of students laughing and followed the sound – which lead directly to Albus. He knew his brother had a hard time with bullies, he just didn’t know how to help.

James left his seat at the Gryffindor table and crossed the Great Hall to the Slytherin table, just in time for his brother to let out a pleading, “I didn’t choose, you know that? I didn’t choose to be his son.”

He’d never heard his brother sound so defeated and broken, like the bullies were attacking him right where it matters the most: his heart. But all the other students did was laugh and James sent daggers in their direction, but all he received was an equally scary stare from Yann Fredericks. Not that James was threatened by the younger boy.

“Albus,” James started, but Albus was already standing and packing up his things, leaving the feast early. James stepped forward, ready to take his brother up in a hug but Albus stepped away from him.

“Don’t, James,” he spat back, grabbing Scorpius’ elbow and leading him out of the Great Hall. James sulked back to his table, throwing himself in his seat and letting out a big huff. He didn’t know at which point he lost the ability to connect with his brother, but he couldn’t help but think it was his fault for pushing him away.

**three**

“Can I borrow this?” James asked as he walked into Albus’ room without knocking, instantly pulling a Holyhead Harpies jumper out of his wardrobe and pulling it over his head. Albus barely looked up, instead curled up in a ball on his bed playing with a Rubix cube. His suitcase was on the floor with only a singular robe in there, despite their mum making them start packing (a week before they were due back!). “Albus?”

Albus looked up from the cube, realising James was in his room _and_ wearing his clothes. He sat up, giving a brief glance at his suitcase before back at James.

“That’s mine,” he said. James wondered if he should be worried that Albus didn’t even hear him ask for it.

“I did ask,” he said and shrugged. “Are you coming to the Burrow? Me and Freddie are trying out some of Uncle Ron’s new products.”

“No thanks,” Albus said, lying back down and fiddling with the muggle device.

James sat on the end of the bed, not too close to Albus for fear he’d just kick him off – literally. “Where’d you get that?”

The ghost of a smile crossed his lips. “Scorpius gave it me for my birthday, he said he completed it in two days and I was going to try and beat him, but so far it’s been a month and I can still only get two sides.”

He thought, perhaps, that was the most Albus had spoken to him in one go since… well, since his first year at Hogwarts and for that reason alone, James wanted to scoop him into a hug. But, Albus had refused every hug offered to him for years, unless it was given to him by their mum or Lily. He was certainly never going to accept one from their dad, or James.

James was going to pat Albus’ leg as a substitute, but instead he simply smiled at stood up. “Well, good luck, Al-”

“It’s Albus.”

And just like that, all friendliness had gone and Albus told him to get out. So, James did with a heavy heart.

**four**

James sat outside Albus’ bedroom door, listening to his sobs from the outside. He wanted to go in, he wanted to go in so desperately and hug him and comfort him but he knew Albus would just shout at him and tell him to go away. He tugged at his still-pink hair, wishing the stupid thing would turn back to normal (he’d showered three times and now it was sort of pastel, rather than bright), before running his hands down his face.

They used to be best friends, he and Al, but something changed and it all changed very quickly. Suddenly, Al was in Slytherin and he didn’t want to talk to James anymore. Suddenly, Albus was colder and more recluse, snapping and shouting rather than laughing and joking. He never smiled anymore, not at home anyway. And he definitely wouldn’t be smiling anytime soon.

Not after what their dad had said to him – shouted _at_ him. _There are times I wish you weren’t my son._ No one, _ever_ , deserves to hear that. And James knows Albus pushed him, but it just made him wonder if his dad really meant it. Did he really wish Albus wasn’t his son? Because that would mean James wouldn’t have a little brother, and Albus was his whole entire world.

“Albus?” James spoke, hoping Albus would let him in. The sobs stopped for a moment, then there was pitter patter of feet across the carpeted floor on the other side of the door, and then a locked clicked. He wasn’t just not letting him in; he was fully locking him out. “I’m sorry, Albus,” James said.

He heard Albus slump the other side of the door, and he imagined Albus in the same position he was: slumped, with his knees hugged to his chest and identical tear-marks staining their cheeks. He never said anything else, he never needed to. Albus knew he was there, in some weird way.

It was a few moments later that he heard mumbled voices from his parents’ room. He didn’t move - he didn’t want to leave Albus - but he leaned forward a bit so he could hear clearer. They were talking about Albus – of course, it was all they spoke about recently. But they were talking about James and Lily too, and what their dad said made his stomach turn: _I just wish he was more like James or Lily._

He slumped back against the door, wishing and pretending his dad didn’t just compare them like that. Albus was different, he was a Slytherin and he didn’t make friends easily, and he preferred the comfort of his room to the loud, suffocating living room when full to the brim of Weasleys. That didn’t make Albus a bad person or a disappointment or difficult; it made him Albus. It was all of those things that James loved him for and so much more, but then he wondered if Albus saw him like that too.

In that moment, he’d never wished he could hug his brother more. To hug him and hold him, tell him he was proud of him. But, he couldn’t. So he stayed on the other side of the door, and the two brothers – so different yet incredibly similar – both fell asleep like that.

**five**

“Mr. Potter, Miss. Potter, would you come with me, please?” Professor McGonagall said, making a royal visit to the Gryffindor common room. James caught eyes with Lily who was sitting across from him and they both shrugged at each other. It’s the first day back of term, surely they both couldn’t be in trouble already.

They both stood and followed McGonagall to her office in an eerie silence, all the while they were trying to figure out what could have possibly happened. James half-expected Albus to be waiting for them in her office, or his parents to be there as well, but he was wrong on both guesses when they arrived and the office was empty.

McGonagall offered them a seat opposite her desk, pushing biscuits in their direction. Lily took one, but James suddenly felt very sick. Just as he was about to ask what all this was about, McGonagall beat him to it.

“There is no easy way to tell you both this,” she started, taking a deep breath. “But your brother, Albus, and his friend, Scorpius, well, they never made it to school.”

“What?” James spluttered, standing up. “Professor, they were on the train, I saw them! Or, I saw Albus, he was talking to Rose.”

“Jamie,” Lily spoke softly, taking his hand and pulling him back into his seat.

“We don’t know exactly where the boys got off, whether it was in Hogsmeade or beforehand, but they are not on school grounds. We have Aurors out looking for them now.”

James stood again. “But it’s a magical, moving train!” he protested. Lily stood up too, but this time just hugged James around the middle and squeezed him tightly. James held her back and forced the tears away from his eyes. He would not cry, not in front of Lily, because Gryffindors are brave and Gryffindors don’t cry.

And besides, Albus was completely safe.

If he told himself that enough, then it was sure to come true.

As he held his little sister, he couldn’t help but wish Albus was there too. Sure, Albus hates hugs and he’ll probably detest the whole thing, but at least he’d be here.

**one**

“ALBUS!” Lily shouted as she barged passed James, throwing herself at Albus. He’d only just come through the front door and neither James nor Lily knew what happened, they just knew it was bad. He barely had time to process anything before he had a mouthful of Lily’s ridiculously long red hair, but he hugged her back, melted into her, like he always did with his sister.

James slumped a little, knowing a hug from him wouldn’t be as well received.

“What happened? Are you okay?” Lily asked as she pulled away.

“Give him some space, Lily,” mum scolded, but Lily folded her arms and stomped her foot. Mum gave her a look and she sulked off to the sofa. James took a brave deep breath and stepped towards him.

“Hey,” he spoke. Albus had been gone two months. He was back for a very short period before he was gone – _kidnapped_ – again. He’d only been gone two months, but he already looked so much older. Maybe it was the bags under his eyes and his shrugged stance, or maybe it was because his hair had grown at little, but he looked different. Older, wiser, like he’d seen things he never wanted to see. And he had.

“Hey,” he responded with a half-hearted shrug.

“I- Al – erm,” James struggled for words, and eventually he gave up trying to find them and grabbed Albus by the shoulders to pull him closer. He wrapped his arms around his brothers neck and buried his face into his unruly raven hair. “Merlin, Albus, I missed you so much!” he cried, only just realising his eyes were releasing water without his consent. “I was so scared you’d never come back.”

To his surprised, Albus hugged him back. He felt Albus’ arm snake around his waist and hold tightly, like the tighter he held, the less his body would shake from his tears. James didn’t know how long they stayed there for wrapped in each other’s arms, he just knew that he would never, _ever_ , hesitate to hug Albus again.

For a moment, he thought he’d never be able to hug him, talk to him, and even see him. For a moment, he thought he’d lost his brother altogether, like those words his dad spoke were coming true under the cruellest of circumstances. So from now on, he vowed to protect him from the bullies, hug him whenever he could, and never push him away again. Maybe if James had been there for him, had been a real brother, then he could have stopped all this.

He took a deep breath and hugged him tighter, letting the tears fall fast and hard as Albus sobbed against him as well. As brothers, they held each other and as brothers, they let each other heal.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed, would love to hear your thoughts and feelings on this!  
> Twitter: @sunshinescorp


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